Amid RESA leader departures, school officials discuss new options

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ROANOKE — As the state’s eight Regional Education Service Agencies approach their legally ordained demise next summer, county school board members, public school system superintendents, executive directors of the regional agencies and others heard information Saturday on how county school systems can continue to share school-related services.

The discussion at Stonewall Resort came after several regional agency executive directors, and other regional agency employees, left their positions.

Kelly Watts, former executive director of Regional Education Service Agency 3, which serves Kanawha, Putnam, Boone and Clay counties, left to work in Cabell County’s public school system.

Robin Lewis, former executive director of Regional Education Service Agency 1, left her job to become a principal, according to Nick Zervos, who retired June 30 as executive director of Regional Education Service Agency 6 and now serves in the position on a “very part-time” basis, he said.

“As RESAs are being raided, particularly for smaller counties, they’re going to be left out of those services,” said Fayette school board member Stephen Slockett.

He said his school board hired David Warvel, executive director of Regional Education Service Agency 4, to be Fayette’s school transportation director, meaning Warvel is now part-time in his executive director role.

But Slockett said the new educational services cooperative he wants to form among Fayette and other counties will meet the needs of smaller counties in Regional Education Service Agency 4.

“Replacing the RESA for Mason County is going to be a killer,” said Dale Shobe, Mason County’s school board president.